Starting to get concerned...

I'm down to about 300-400 rounds of HP-38, Midway let me know about six weeks ago that I was on a 4-8 week backlog for 8lbs of W231. it's been six weeks. I'm on the road basically 23-24 days a month and can't go to my normal supplier who's about 50 minutes away. It's going to be close. I have plenty of bullets and primers.

Yeah, it looks like we picked a bad week to quit amphetamines... or picked a bad week to want/need our preferred powders.
For me Win231/HP38 would be the "IT" thing, but since it's rare these days, I, like many others here, have gone to the plan Bs and Cs. I've been loading 9, 40, and 38 Spcl with WST and will do some 45 ACPs soon. I'm holding on the Win231 for 380, and 45 Gap and don't want to use it all up.
Plan C is the Promo/Red Dot and once I finish the last of the WST I will build up some recipes for it.
In rifle, the dearth of RL15 and BL(C)-2 has prompted me get some LT32 and will load up some 223 and 308 in the next week with it.

Plan B involved 8 lbs of SR7625. It is on the endangered species list, but will get me by until HP38 is available. Seems that we are currently getting hit by a backlash on the powder shortage. I suspect many who weren't hoarders are now on the bandwagon.

gonoles_1980,
Do you live anywhere near the Northeast of PA? I can always lend you a pound of W231 until you can get your backorder filled.

I was about to mention Zip but I see it's already been mentioned. Yes, Zip is VERY close to the performance of W231/HP-38. It's probably the best substitute. There is also Green Dot which is also in the same relative burn rate range and acts a lot like W231 but for one thing. I have found Green Dot has a very small accuracy range. With W231 you can sometimes achieve good accuracy with a full grain spread, with Green Dot sometimes you are in a .2gr ban of accuracy. (for me at least)

I live near he coast in Central Florida. My biggest issue is I'm on the road 10.5 days and home 3.5 days. I normally get my supplies at Space Coast Bullets in Melbourne, but it's a 50 minute drive. When I get home I want to spend time with the wife. All this traveling will be over in 3-4 months, but I only have a month supply left based on how I've been reloading over the time I've been home. I'm betting I will get my 8lbs before I run out. Even then, I have enough supplies for two months of range trips since I can only go every other week.

Thank you, that is a mighty generous offer from you, you are too kind .

What do you mean by "on the road"? Flying? Driving truck? Rental cars? Personal vehicle? I used to work on the road a lot too, driving rentals and company vehicles, and I stopped at every gun shop I saw. Was always picking up supplies and other goodies when the chance arose.

Rondog - Flying, I'm out in California most of the time right now, a gun unfriendly state. That sounds cool about your getting to stop at the supply shops. If it really gets hairy for me, I'll drive to the guy in Melbourne, he usually always has some pistol powder on hand. He just didn't have any W231 or HP38 the last time I was there.

Could you possibly pre-pay or leave a deposit for the powders you are looking for so when the store gets delivery of them, they can set it aside for you and email/call you for a pickup? (kinda like back-ordering)

On the backorder note, Ive had 380 brass back ordered from Midway for quite awhile now. It went from due in one or two months, to overdue, and it's been saying overdue for the last month plus....my point is not to burst your bubble, but to let you know not to depend to closely on the time frame status..

I am on plan B with Green Dot and have found it quite accurate. I'm using 5.0 gr for 45acp and 4.0-4.2 gr for 9mm. I have been very pleased and the powder chrono's well with a low SD which is surprising to me anyway, because the flakes are very large.

When I say accurate, shot out of a Les Baer Wadcutter on a Hy Skore rest, 1-1.5 inch groups at 25 yards. The occasional higher or lower chrono'd FPS round may be an inch high/low of the main group but the majority are tight in there, very good results.

Thank you, that is a mighty generous offer from you, you are too kind .

Click to expand...

Man, the folks around here are over the moon generous...I cant even describe 'em. I just haphazardly mentioned the other day in a thread that Im pretty low on brass, and I had 4 or 5 folks PM me asking me what caliber, and they could send some if i needed. And a few others pointed me in a direction to find some..unbelievably good folks around here...

Are you on an actual backorder at Midway or on their "notify me" list?
I am on the "notify me" list for HP38 but it emphasizes that I am NOT on backorder and I have to order immediately upon notification or it may be gone.

I suspect you're talking to the OP (but if not-my brass is backordered) and you have a good point. Their is a distinction between the notify list and the backorder list. Ive had no luck with the "notify me so I can race to log in and order lottery". I strike out every time.

I would get concerned if there wasn't ANY powder available but not if my favorite wasn't.
I use a lot of W231/HP38 and a lot of Unique but there are several others that will do the job. Maybe not quiet as well or as to my liking, but I can do the job.

Red Dot, Green Dot and 700X were all 3 available here even at the height of the panic and while those aren't my favorite powders for handgun loading, they will do the job for most calibers.

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